Thrush describes an infection that develops in the frog of one or more of the horse’s hooves, caused by a fungal or bacterial pathogen. 

Hooves with frogs that have deep sulci are prone to becoming infected with pathogens that cause thrush. Wet and dirty environments contribute to the development of this infection as thrush-causing pathogens flourish under these conditions.

Typical signs of a thrush infection include hoof tenderness and a foul-smelling discharge from the hoof. Prompt treatment is necessary to stop the spread of the infection.

Management strategies to prevent thrush and support recovery aim at keeping the horse’s living environment clean.

This podcast reviews the causes, signs and treatment of thrush in horses.

Read more: ⁠⁠https://madbarn.ca/thrush-in-horses/

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Mad Barn Academy is dedicated to supporting horse owners and equine practitioners through research, training and education. Visit us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://madbarn.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more resources, videos and articles.

Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Desmitis (DSLD) is a chronic condition in horses that affects connective tissue, including the suspensory ligament and other ligaments and tendons. This painful condition commonly leads to debilitating lameness.

In horses with DSLD, the suspensory ligament progressively weakens causing hyperextension of the fetlock, hock, and stifle.

The precise causes and mechanisms of DSLD are still an active area of research.

Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for DSLD and there are no reliable measures to slow disease progression. Supportive care including corrective shoeing, controlled exercise plans and pain relief can help lessen symptoms.

This podcast reviews DSLD, its causes, signs and symptoms and best management practices.

Read more: ⁠https://madbarn.ca/degenerative-suspensory-ligament-desmitis-in-horses/

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Mad Barn Academy is dedicated to supporting horse owners and equine practitioners through research, training and education. Visit us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://madbarn.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more resources, videos and articles.

Riding and working with horses poses some inherent risk of danger, but the risk is greater when working with an aggressive or moody horse.

For this reason, horse owners often look to calming supplements to help make their horse more manageable and easier to train.

Calming remedies are also used during stressful situations such as trailering, showing, farrier work, and veterinary visits.

Despite their popularity, calming supplements may be one of the least studied supplement categories in horses. Behaviour can be hard to quantify which makes it a difficult topic for researchers to study.

In this podcast, we evaluate the mechanisms, bioavailability, safety and efficacy of some of the most popular calming horse supplements available on the market today. We also rate the ingredients on the strength of the research evidence in horses.

Read more: https://madbarn.ca/calming-supplements-for-horses/

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠_______________________________

Mad Barn Academy is dedicated to supporting horse owners and equine practitioners through research, training and education. Visit us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://madbarn.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more resources, videos and articles.